


An Unlikely Hero

by snarkysira



Category: Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2018-10-25 08:30:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10760520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarkysira/pseuds/snarkysira
Summary: Link has failed to awaken after his 100 year slumber in the Shrine of Resurrection and Hyrule still needs someone to stop Calamity Ganon. However, nobody quite expected the hero's shadow to be the one to stop this impending disaster.





	1. "Where Am I?"

I woke up in a field next to what looked like a ruined temple, the harsh sunlight stabbing my eyes like daggers. All I knew at that moment was that I needed to find whoever the hell dragged me out of my world and kick their ass. 

I stood up, brushing the grass off the backs of my legs and fixing my hat before assessing my current situation. It looked like I was on top of a large plateau, as there was a sudden drop-off to the larger expanse of land below. In the distance, I could see multiple familiar sights. The Dueling Peaks mountains, Eldin Volcano, and what looked like a corrupted version of Hyrule Castle. 

Wait, corrupted? I blinked in surprise at the realization, rubbing my eyes to make sure what I was seeing was real. Sure enough, it was. Hyrule castle had been surrounded by what looked like smoke with glowing reddish-pink spots in it. Something felt very...bad about it. Bad enough that I turned away from it, trying to grasp just what kind of situation I was in without paying attention to that thing. 

I looked over to my right to see what looked to be a ruined version of the Temple of Time. "Just how long was I out for?" I wondered aloud. Making up my mind, I headed in the direction of the Temple of Time, grabbing a fallen tree branch to use as a weapon, as the sword on my back had been taken from me. 

Just as I neared the doors to the temple, I realized that grabbing the tree branch had been a good idea as a bokoblin attacked me unexpectedly. However, I quickly defeated it, taking the club that it had attacked me with and half-jogging into the temple of time. 

The interior looked just as worn as the exterior. Empty windows of stone stood where gorgeous stained glass once sat and anything remotely resembling places to sit had been reduced to rubble. The only thing that remained standing -- touched only by the moss that grew on it-- was the statue of the Goddess Hylia herself. I grimaced at the sight as I remembered just what hell she had put me and many others through. 

However, I was at a very desperate point. I looked around quickly to see if anyone was watching me and, when I was satisfied that it was just me and the crumbled walls, I knelt and began to speak to the statue. 

"Listen, Hylia, I know you and I have had our disagreements in the past. Y'know, since your descendant is literally the princess that I've been sent to capture twice now." I winced internally at my words, but continued, "But I'm desperate for your help. I have no idea where I am, or why I'm even here. So I ask kindly, please send me a message or something telling me just what I'm supposed to be doing. I have no master to guide me." I winced once more as I stood up. 

Not long after I got to my feet, I heard footsteps behind me. I grabbed the club off my back and pointed it at the source, only to find a cloaked old man. I had to resist the urge to laugh as I lowered the club. However, I was still on my guard. "Who are you?" I asked, the hostility very clear in my voice. 

I received a low chuckle in response. "You need not know my name, dark one." The old man responded, amusement hinting in his voice. I glared at him, more than I already was. "Though, I get the feeling you already know who I am." He spoke as he removed his hood.

My eyes widened to what felt like their limit when I realized I was speaking to the King of Hyrule. "Why are you here?" I growled, raising the club again. "You're supposed to be dead." 

"And I am." He responded. Just as he spoke, wisps of blue flame danced around his now barely visible feet. "I need to deliver a message to you." 

A laugh escaped from me at that comment, my hostility replaced by amusement. "You've really lost it, haven't you old man?" I smirked, swinging the club upwards to rest on my shoulder. "Besides, even if you do have a message for me, what makes you think I'd listen?" 

"Well, you did say you needed to know why you were here, didn't you?"


	2. The Adventure Begins

My eyes opened wide at the King's comment. Surely he must've been eavesdropping. However, that didn't change the fact that it was off-putting to know that the King of Hyrule knew why I was praying to a goddess statue. 

I let out a defeated sigh, lowering the club as I did so. "Alright, old man, what do you want?" I asked, my head tilting slightly to the side. 

"Simple, I need you to calm the four divine beasts and defeat Calamity Ganon." The King responded, his arms folding across his chest. It took everything I had not to burst into laughter. 

"You do realize who you're talking to, right?" I said when I finally regained my composure. He responded with a swift nod. "Wow, old man, you're even crazier than I thought." 

"Link has failed to awaken from his one hundred year slumber." The king explained swiftly, his expression nearly unchanging. "I need your help to save my kingdom. I fear what could happen otherwise." 

I couldn't resist the urge to let out another small laugh. "You're really desperate, aren't you?" I asked, resting the club on the ground. "You're asking the very thing that was created for the sole purpose of destroying to save Hyrule." 

"I simply have no other choice." The king explained calmly, "Do you accept this offer?" 

I rolled my eyes at his question. He spoke as if he would actually let me return to my peaceful world if I declined. "Alright, old man, you have a deal. Just tell me how to get started." 

He chuckled a bit at my response before handing me a paraglider. "You'll need this to get off of the plateau. Go to Kakariko Village beyond the twin peaks in the distance and speak with Impa." The king explained as he began to fade out of existence. "Remember, the fate of Hyrule rests in your hands." 

I rolled my eyes even harder before he completely vanished. "Yeah, put the fate of Hyrule in one of that pig's old creations. That can only end well." I mumbled to myself, my grip tightening on the paraglider. 

Then again, what other choice did I have? I stared out at the horizon before running to the edge of the plateau. By the time I reached the edge, the sun had just begun to set. "Wonderful," I muttered to myself, knowing full damn well that this was when all the damned stal creatures came out to play. 

"Well," I sighed, looking down at how far of a drop it was, "here goes nothing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know this one's a little bit shorter but that's because I wanted to get it uploaded after a few weeks of procrastination. I'm hoping that the next chapter will be longer.


	3. What's A Yiga?

Though I was completely ready to start this adventure, I was admittedly a little bit hesitant to throw myself off of a cliff that I was almost certain would lead me to a very early death. Then again, who wouldn't be? The paraglider that I had been given earlier had begun to look flimsy and the drop began to look just that much more dangerous. 

I shook my head, trying to clear all the thoughts of possibly dying before taking a quick, sharp breath in. "Alright," I muttered to myself, "I'm doing this. I am about to go against literally everything I've ever been taught and save Hyrule." I realized how stupid the words sounded as they left my mouth. The shadow of the hero, saving Hyrule? As impossible as it sounded, it was going to happen whether or not I liked it. 

And with that, I jumped. 

The paraglider held up surprisingly well, and I gently glided down into some ruins only to be greeted with a very large, very angry moblin. 

It was then that I realized I was going to need more than the club that I stole from that bokoblin to defend myself with. 

The moblin let out an angry growl and swung it's bat at me, leaving me very little time to dodge. Luckily, I was able to do just that. I quickly struck back at it with the club. However, that didn't seem to do much. The beast attacked once again, but it overestimated its reach and missed me, leaving me time to wail on its ankles. Hey, when you're against a moblin, you take what you can get. It wasn't long before it fell to its knees and burst into black smoke, presumably sending it back to whatever created it, and leaving behind what looked like the creature's horn and fangs. I quickly took both of them, planning to sell them to whatever poor sucker would buy them off of me before heading forward once more, making quick work of two bokoblins who decided to ambush me from behind a wall. I was lucky enough that one of them had an old, rusty sword that it dropped when it was defeated. Finally, I had something other than a wooden bat. 

I decided to take a quick break by Proxim Bridge, letting out a sigh as I leaned on the railing and looked out over the river that flowed underneath. There was an out-of-commission guardian on the bank of the water and I thought about just what those things could do when they worked. All of Hyrule thought that those things would protect them until Ganon turned them against the Hylians, sending the land into a reign of chaos. 

It didn't take long for me to realize just how suspicious I looked. The guard who began his patrol of the bridge froze in his tracks when he saw me before readying his spear. 

"How did one of the Yiga Clan get this far without disguising itself...?" The guard wondered aloud, his shaking spear betraying the fear he felt. 

"Yiga...?" I blinked, looking over at the guard casually. "What in Hylia's name is the Yiga Clan?" 

The guard's expression betrayed his confusion when I asked. "Shouldn't you know since you're clearly one of that beast's creations?" He asked, motioning to Hyrule Castle with his spear. 

I shook my head. Clearly, this guy was an idiot to think I was from...whatever the Yiga Clan was. "Listen, I have no idea what the Yiga Clan is. I'm just trying to get to Kakariko Village." I explained, hoping that I wouldn't have to kill someone this early into my journey. 

It seemed to work, as the guard visibly relaxed. "You really have no idea?"

"Not a clue." I responded, my arms crossing my chest, "Though, I would like an explanation as to just what, or who, they are." 

He let out a sigh, resting the spear in his hand against the edge of the bridge. "They're workers of that...thing. They disguise themselves as plain travelers and attack unsuspecting innocents," the guard explained as he let out another sigh, "as you can imagine, they make my job a lot harder." 

I nodded in sympathy. "Sounds like I'm gonna have to watch out for those, then," I spoke, satisfied with the amount of info I got out of the guard. "Well, I should be heading off, can you point me in the direction of Kakariko Village?" 

"Sadly, no. However, I can tell you that the nearest ranch is just past the twin peak mountains just up ahead." He explained, motioning to the towering mountains. I quickly thanked him before resuming my journey.


	4. Directions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate title: Dark link gets Angery
> 
> Sorry for the super late upload, I'm probably gonna work on uploading chapters more frequently from now on! 
> 
> Also, are there any other fandoms you guys want to see me write for? I'm always open to suggestions since I'm relatively new to actually uploading my stories and having them get attention, so I wanna know what you guys wanna see!

The sun began setting quicker than I anticipated, and I let out a disappointed sigh when I realized that I wouldn't reach Kakariko Village before nightfall. Luckily, there looked to be an abandoned bokoblin camp with a lit lantern. I quickly set about making a makeshift campfire and waiting for time to pass. 

Yeah, that was a joke. 

The night crawled on and on with no end in sight and, soon enough, my eyelids grew heavy and I succumbed to the sweet release of sleep. 

\--

I awoke the next day to blinding sunlight reflecting off of the lake that I had set up camp near. The fire looked like it had long since burned out, and the area around it was slightly charred. A yawn escaped me as I stretched the tiredness from my limbs. 

After gaining my bearings once more, I headed between the two mountains that now towered way above me, hoping that this time maybe I'd get to Kakariko Village before dusk. 

It wasn't long before I saw a stable. In all honesty, it was hard to miss it. There was a giant handmade horse head on top of what looked like it could have once been a circus tent that was handed down to the owners of what was now this stable. However, as I neared it, everyone cowered away in fear. 

"Of course," I muttered to myself, walking up to the desk regardless. "Hey, I need directions to Kakariko Village," I spoke, looking down at the poorly-hidden Hylian who looked like he ran the place. 

"Y-you should run before the hero gets here!" The hylian spoke, his voice shaking in fear. 

I rolled my eyes in response. "The hero's still asleep, idiot. The king of Hyrule sent me, so you're just gonna have to deal with that," I explained, "Now tell me, where's Kakariko Village?" 

The hylian man gave me a confused look as I spoke, eventually getting to his feet. "The hero?" He asked as if the thought just barely occurred to him. 

"Yes, idiot. Y'know, the hero of time, the one that defeated the oh-so-mighty-Calamity Ganon the first time and then had to get sealed in this weird chamber for a long time." I answered with exaggerated hand motions to get my point across. "That idiot's still sleeping so your king sent me. If you have a problem with it, take it up with his grave. Now tell me, where is Kakariko Village?" 

"But...the hero is supposed to save us, not you." He mumbled, running a hand through his hair. 

My eyes rolled so far I'm convinced they were in the back of my skull for a moment. 

I reached behind the counter and grabbed the hylian man by his shirt, my blazing red eyes piercing into his dull brown ones as I felt myself beginning to lose my physical form, "Listen here, idiot," I spat, my face contorting into a glare, "the oh-so-wonderful hero isn't as great as you all seem to think he is. You're going to tell me where Kakariko Village is or I will make it so you will never see the light of dawn again, do you understand me?" The hylian before me trembled in fear as his eyes went as wide as dinner plates. 

"I-it's up that hill across Kakariko Bridge." He stuttered, falling to his knees when I let him go. 

"There now wasn't that easier." My grin could only have been described as sinister as I slowly regained composure. "Next, I'm going to need a horse," I spoke, partially to myself as I looked around the stables to see if there were any worth renting....or stealing if I got a similar response to my previous question. 

"Y-you can't take any of those. They belong to other people!" The hylian rushed to stop me from taking one of the horses, proving that he had at least a sliver of courage left in him. 

"Then is there one I can take?" I asked, my foot impatiently tapping. 

"You can catch your own, they're in the field out there." He answered, "Catch one and bring it back to the stables and we'll get it registered as yours." 

I looked out at the field of horses and smirked. Alright, horse catching it is. 

After all, how hard could it be?


	5. The Hidden Village

Horses are easily spooked, I knew this much. Especially when they're wild and aren't yet tamed. Regardless of this, I thought that capturing the steed of my choice (If you must know, it was a near entirely black horse with a white mane) was going to be at least vaguely easy. 

I could not have been more wrong. 

It took me at least five attempts to sneak up close enough to the horse to mount it and another two to actually get it to listen to what I wanted it to do. 

However, when I did finally tame it and took it back to the stable, the man behind the counter quickly registered that the horse, in fact, was mine now, and not long after I made my way towards Kakariko Village. 

The trip there was surprisingly quick, and before I knew it I was surrounded by confused stares and whispers among the villagers. I had to resist the urge to glare back, instead opting to sit confidently upon my horse and not look anyone in the eye. After all, they were all below me. 

It became very clear to me which house I needed to head to, as it rose high above the center of the village and looked more extravagant than the rest. I dismounted my horse in front of the steps before being stopped by two angry-looking guards. 

"And just where do you think you're going, shadow creature?" The angrier of the two glared at me, his hand drifting to the sword at his side. 

I rolled my eyes in response. "Really, you're going to stop the person who's supposed to save Hyrule from doing just that?" I snapped back, my own hand drifting to the sword at my side, ready to deliver a killing blow if needed. 

"Aw look, he thinks he's capable of being the hero." The other one smirked, drawing his sword without hesitation. "Run along, little boy, you can go play swords with your other shadow friends somewhere else." 

I drew my sword quicker than either of them could blink, pointing it's rusted blade at the cocky one's throat. "Say something like that again and I will make sure not another word leaves your tongue." I glared, "I'm not here for either of you idiots anyway, I'm here to speak with Impa." 

"Like she'd have any business with a creature of shadows." The bigger one muttered to himself. I quickly moved the sword to point at his throat instead. 

"Did you say something?" My grin was full of malice and fury as I pressed the tip of the sword into his neck.

"Yeah, I said-" His words were cut off as quickly as his head. The other guard quickly backed off and ran in the opposite direction before I could do the same to him. A shame really, I was planning on saying a witty remark about not losing your head. Oh well. I quickly headed up the steps to be greeted by double doors. 

It was only then that the thought occurred to me. Just what was Impa going to think when she saw me instead of the fabled hero of Hyrule? One of Ganondorf's creations instead of the boy who helped seal Calamity Ganon all those years ago? 

I shook my head to clear my mind of any doubts I had before swinging the double doors open. There, I was greeted by an elder sheikah woman who could only have been Impa. 

"So you've finally arrived, Hero's Shadow." She spoke, unprompted, "I see I'm going to have to find a new guard to replace the one you killed on your way here." There was a slightly amused tone to her voice, as though replacing the guard wasn't going to be much of an issue. At this, I quirked an eyebrow as I wasn't quite expecting the leader of the sheikah to be so...easygoing towards me. 

"Well in my defense--" Before I could finish, Impa raised a hand to stop me. 

"That isn't what brought you here. Tell me, what has become of the hero himself?" Impa asked, lowering her hand as though she were giving me permission to speak. 

I let out a sigh, trying to figure out how to word my response before coming to a quick conclusion. "I'm not sure whether he's dead or alive, but the king of Hyrule chose me to save this land and that's just what I plan to do," I explained. I didn't exactly believe my own words, but it sounded good. 

Impa must have caught onto the fact that I didn't believe myself. 

"Oh? Do you truly plan on saving Hyrule or is that just so you don't have to deal with the passed king's spirit haunting you?" A smile spread across her wrinkled features at this statement, "If you truly do plan to save Hyrule, then stay and listen to my advice. However, I must warn you that this can't all be solved by killing those who would give snide comments to your current state of being." She explained, her hands crossing in her lap. 

I sat down on the cushion in front of her and looked Impa directly in the eye. 

"Tell me what I need to know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I'm hoping to actually stick to my once every other week uploading schedule. So far it's working out pretty good and the next chapter should be uploaded in that time. Thank you guys so much for being patient with chapter uploads!


	6. Story Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating in a while ^^; here's hoping the next chapter after this gets uploaded a lot sooner than that.

"As you may know, a hundred years ago the Great Calamity happened," Impa began, "Not many survived the horrible attack on Hyrule, and those who did were scarred for life." I struggled to not roll my eyes at this obvious information. Honestly, she should've told me something I didn't know. 

"Don't worry, this is where it gets good." She laughed, as though she could tell that I was irritated. "The land of Hyrule began to rebuild, and the towns that got out of the Calamity nearly scratch-free offered assistance to those in need. It was truly a time of unity." Again. I struggled to not roll my eyes. It went from information that I already knew to something I honestly couldn't care less about. 

"Listen," I interrupted, standing up from my spot, "I understand that this story is probably really important to you and it probably entertains tons of small children. But I've got places to be. Hyrule isn't gonna save itself." 

Impa let out a small, but seemingly annoyed laugh. "Very well, there are four divine beasts in the farthest corners of Hyrule; Vah Medoh of the Rito, Vah Naboris of the Gerudo, Vah Ruta of the Zora, and Vah Rudania of the Gorons. You are expected to calm them before going to fight Calamity Ganon, as things should be quite a bit easier with their help." She explained, her expression changing from amused to serious quicker than I could blink. I nodded in agreement, finally, she got to what mattered. Though, to be fair, I didn't doubt for a minute that I couldn't defeat Calamity Ganon with my own hands. 

"However," Impa spoke up again, "your quest may prove more difficult without the Master Sword." Great. "You may be considered worthy, however, with your current state, I wouldn't be surprised if it rejected you upon contact." I honestly would've thought her to be joking had she not sounded so sincere. I let out a semi-defeated sigh. 

"So, let me get this straight. The great hero would've been expected to get the almighty sword that seals the darkness from the stone that it's been sealed in for who knows how long to defeat Calamity Ganon, and I might not be able to even touch it?" I couldn't have sounded more annoyed if I tried, and my expression also betrayed my emotions. The more I thought about this, the more it was beginning to sound like an impossible mission. 

Impa nodded in agreement with my statement. "Though it sounds impossible, I have no doubts that you'll be able to save Hyrule." Her words were only a slight comfort, though I rolled my eyes to throw off any sign that I was at least somewhat calmed by Impa's statement. 

"Well, I'll be heading out now. Be back when Hyrule's safe I guess." I didn't wait for a reply as I headed out the double doors back into Kakariko Village. To be honest, I barely had any idea of what I was actually supposed to do. All I gained from that discussion is that the Divine Beasts need to be calm before I go defeat the monstrosity that is Calamity Ganon and that it's not likely that I'm gonna be able to wield the weapon that I need to actually kill the damned thing. Great.


	7. The Path to the Domain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to write. I'm hoping to actually keep posting more since I'm sort of working on outlining the story as I go.

I mounted my horse with a grunt before heading out of Kakariko Village. I had no map, nor any idea of where I was going. Well, that wasn't exactly true. I knew that, from a normal map, the Zora were to the east, the Gorons were to the north (kind of hard to miss a giant volcano), the Rito were to the northwest, and the Gerudo were to the southwest. Figuring my best bet would be to head to Zora's Domain first to see what I could do to help with whatever problem lurked there.

If only I knew what was in store for me.

The ride there was...uneventful to say the least. There were multiple lizalfos along the path and, while it didn't take long for my rusty sword to break, I was able to loot one of them for a bladed boomerang that could double as a sword-like weapon. It eventually got to a point where my horse refused to continue on the path, so I dismounted and walked the rest of the way on foot.

That is until I came to a large bridge.

The bridge itself was nothing short of beautiful. It was clear that whoever had made it had used a lot of luminous stones with how much it glowed. The bridge itself acted as somewhat of a beacon. While I was lost in thought about just why someone would make a bridge like this, I heard a voice from above me.

"Hey there, young one!" My eyes immediately scanned the scenery, hand going back to the handle of the bladed boomerang. "No, above you!" My head jerked upward as my grip tightened on the handle of the weapon. Before I could process who was speaking to me, a very tall zora lept down onto the ground in front of me, a confident grin on his face. I took an uneasy step back, gazing up at the creature with a confused expression plastered on my face.

The zora, however, seemed more than pleased at my presence. Which came as a legitimate surprise considering that so far everyone who had caught sight of me had immediately noticed that I was a dark being created of shadow. I could be wrong, but I think his grin managed to grow when he noticed my state.

"I know this may come as a surprise to you, but you're a Hylian, correct? I was hoping we'd have a moment to talk."

I immediately looked around to see if there was an actual hylian he was talking to. However, I began to quickly realize that the only ones around were this zora, me, and the fish in the river flowing under the bridge.

It was almost as though the zora could tell I was confused since he gave a small laugh. "Yes, I am talking about you. You're the only hylian to actually brave this weather and I was hoping you might be able to help my people with a problem we're having."

Of course, this overgrown fish wanted me to help his people. I rubbed my forehead in annoyance when I realized that the source of the problem was probably Vah Ruta, meaning I really couldn't say no.

"Fine," I answered after a long and probably awkward silence. The zora was overjoyed at this response as he immediately backflipped into the water.

"I'll meet you at Zora's Domain, we can talk more there." He shouted from the water, his voice partially drowned out by the rushing rapids. "Follow the blue lanterns and you should have no problem getting there!" I let out an annoyed sigh when the zora disappeared underwater before heading across the bridge.

I already knew this was going to take longer than expected when I got ambushed by a group of lizalfos. The fight lasted a good while, but in the end, I came out victorious, claiming their fallen weapons as a sort of trophy.

I only hoped that this wouldn't be a common occurrence on this path.


	8. Confused, Not Lost

I couldn't have been more wrong. 

Though the group ambush was the only one, there were tons of lizalfos on the path and quite frankly I began to wonder if that zora was even right about following the blue lanterns. It began to feel like I was following them for ages until I came across a large bridge. In the distance, I saw my destination and let out a sigh of relief when I realized I was, in fact, getting closer. I was quickly startled out of my thoughts when I heard a splash from the water below the bridge. 

The source of the splash sit gazing at me below the bridge, a grin plastered on his face. "Good to see you've made it this far!" The zora yelled from the river, "I was worried you were going to get lost or hurt so I decided to wait here at this bridge to make sure you got here safe." The smile on the zora's face conveyed his sincerity and, had I been a creature of light I may have been touched by his sincere gesture. Instead, I was vaguely annoyed. Glaring down at the fish-creature with slight disdain on my face.

"I don't need your concern." I immediately responded with a slight huff. Truthfully, I appreciated the concern. However, there was truth in my statement. I was perfectly capable of reaching the Domain by myself and I didn't need the zora to keep checking on me. I only hoped that he wouldn't meet me further along the line. 

The zora nodded in response to my statement, diving under the water and swimming upriver a bit before resurfacing. "I'll check in on you one more time at the halfway point then!" He shouted before leaping out of the water and diving back in with a purposefully large splash. I instinctively shielded my face with my arm despite the water not coming anywhere close to me. Letting out a sigh, I turned back and began to cross the bridge, dreading the trek ahead of me. 

After crossing the bridge, I began to realize that I hadn't seen any blue lanterns since. It was in that moment that I had realized I was lost. I grumbled in annoyance, wishing desperately to just turn around and forget the fact that this journey ever even needed to happen. However, I wished to be free of Ganon's control, and this was seemingly the only way to do so. 

I groaned when I realized that the sun was beginning to set. Even a child knew that it was dangerous to stay out past dark unless you want to be attacked by monsters. I quickly found a tree and quickly set to work gathering firewood. I had a piece of flint in my pocket to start a fire and, before long, I had a small camp set up. And soon after that, I drifted off to sleep by the warmth of the fire I had created. 

The morning had come quicker than I would've hoped, and the pain from sleeping on the rough ground had made itself very clearly known alarmingly quickly. As I stretched the remains of sleep away, it became clear that I wasn't alone. I reached for the damaged boomerang on my back and silently waited for whatever it was to attack. As if on cue, the bushes next to where I had set up camp began to shake. But, to my pleasant surprise, it was a deer. I groaned when I realized that I had nothing to hunt it with and let it run in the opposite direction as I gathered my things before heading off towards Zora's Domain once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, after Christmas, New Years, and a ton of procrastination, chapter 8 is finally up!


	9. Almost There

I found the trail of lanterns surprisingly quick and before I knew it, I was following cluster after cluster of them once more. I would've almost considered the stroll therapeutic, had it not been for the looming threat of monsters attacking. However, I considered that itself amusing. The very creatures I once commanded under Ganon's control, now attacking me as I work to save the very land that I had sought to destroy many times before. 

My eyes lit up when I finally caught sight of Zora's Domain in the distance. I quickened my pace, hoping to get there before the next sunset. "Just one more bridge," I spoke to myself, "one more and then I'll finally be there." 

When I got to the final and possibly largest bridge, I heard a large splash below me once again. Making my way over to the edge, I glared down at the zora. "What do you want?" I sneered. 

A frown that could only be described as concern formed on the fish-man's face before he spoke. "I simply wanted to make sure that the journey wasn't being too rough on you. I'm aware that there are monsters lurking along the path." 

I rolled my eyes in response. 

"However," he hollered from below once more, "you're more than halfway there! Soon you'll be at the Domain and we can talk more then!" The zora grinned, his jagged teeth bared, before splashing back into the water. Had the bridge been any lower, I'm almost certain I would've been splashed.

Oh, how I wish he stayed just a little bit longer. 

As soon as the zora was out of sight, I heard a deep growl from behind me, followed by a large gust of air that could only come from the snort of a moblin. My hands flew to my weapons (which were, might I say, in not-that-great condition) as I slowly turned around to face the beast. It towered high above me and had a crudely-made club in its hand. Had I not fought through an ambush of lizalfos, the creature may have struck fear in me. 

However, I had fought things a lot faster and smarter than it, and I knew I could make short work of the moblin. 

Or so I thought.

I relentlessly attacked the beast, paying no mind to the shape my weapon was in and, before I knew it, the blade of the boomerang had shattered in my hand and I was rendered weaponless. So, I did what any other idiot in this situation would do. 

I ran as fast as my feet would carry me. 

Of course, I didn't run in just any direction, I ran towards the domain. Moblins, though somewhat smart, are slow as hell and I knew I could outrun it. In fact, it didn't take long to do so. When I was satisfied that the creature had lost me, I stopped. My chest heaved as I caught my breath from the unexpected sprint. However, when I looked up, I noticed that I was closer to the domain than ever before. A grin spread across my face and I began to start forward again, grabbing a tree branch off the ground to use as a makeshift weapon in case I ran into anything else. 

I didn't expect that I would actually need it so soon. 

What could only be described as a sound of distant thunder rumbled in the distance followed by the crackling of electricity. I froze immediately, looking at the branch in my hand. I knew that wood didn't conduct electricity. I froze in place and immediately hid to think of a plan. 

"Okay, Dark," I mumbled under my breath, "when you turn this corner chances are you're going to see....SOMETHING that has the power of electricity. Wood isn't gonna get ya hurt with it, but this twig isn't gonna stand up to it for long..." I trailed off when I realized how dumb my self pep talk sounded. 

"Fuck it." 

If this thing was gonna kill me, I at least wanted my famous last words to be something that accurately represented me as a person.


	10. Zora's Domain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late and short update! Life got in the way for a bit and mental illnesses are a pain. Luckily, I should be back in business!

Before I had the chance to turn the corner, I was greeted with the sound of crackling electricity hurtling towards me. Instinctively, I ducked and ran, hoping to get a second chance to catch my thoughts before actually facing off against whatever it is. However, when I came face-to-face with the source, I immediately realized that fleeing wouldn't be too bad of an idea. 

The thing that floated before me was a strange creature draped in a cloak that popped and crackled like the electricity that surrounded it. A grin was permanently spread on its features as it ruthlessly attacked. I knew that this thing, whatever it was, was going to be too powerful for me to face off against in my current state. So I fled once more, only stopping to catch my breath when I was certain the damned thing was on the top of the hill. 

To my dismay, the damned thing could teleport. 

I kept running, praying to the Goddesses that it would leave me alone if I got far enough away from its territory. My chest heaved as I sprinted, refusing to stop or look back at...whatever it was. I didn't want to risk stopping and finding out that it was still fast behind me. 

However, I soon realized that when I got to the gates of Zora's Domain that it had long stopped following me. I let out a near-manic laugh before I tried my best to casually stroll further in, even though my hands were still shaking from the adrenaline rush I had just experienced. 

When I calmed down, I finally took in the sight that was Zora's Domain in amazement. It was essentially a glowing city, even though the sun's rays were beating down on it. It was as though it was made out of light itself and the only thing containing the light was the silver they used to add fine details. The only way I could describe it would be to say it was breathtaking.


End file.
